Students were awarded a medal, card with cash gift, certificate and a booklet on the American Flag. After further judging on the district level, Whitley received a certificate and cash award as district winner, and Moore received a certificate and cash award as district and state winner.

Gardening Guru: Home gardening has its benefits

Gardening brings many benefits to physical and emotional wellbeing, including producing food for families, encouraging exercise, reducing stress, improving nutrition, increasing flexibility, cutting fuel costs for transportation of food and helping us to live at a slower pace (on garden time).

Students were awarded a medal, card with cash gift, certificate and a booklet on the American Flag. After further judging on the district level, Whitley received a certificate and cash award as district winner, and Moore received a certificate and cash award as district and state winner.

Gardening Guru: Home gardening has its benefits

Gardening brings many benefits to physical and emotional wellbeing, including producing food for families, encouraging exercise, reducing stress, improving nutrition, increasing flexibility, cutting fuel costs for transportation of food and helping us to live at a slower pace (on garden time).

Many folks who plant a vegetable garden grow the produce because they enjoy gardening and the taste of fresh vegetables. Studies are showing that growing your own vegetables can also be economically beneficial.

In recent years, data from eight gardens in five states — Florida, Maine, Arizona, Oregon and Ohio — has determined the cost of establishment and production.

Roger Doiron of Kitchen Gardeners International says gardening is “work with a purpose.” Gardening in a 1,500-square-foot Scarborough, Maine, plot, he says gardening includes positive physical exercise with no gym fees or exercise classes. The value of the enjoyment gained while gardening is hard to measure. Doiron and his wife gathered the data to determine a value of their vegetable garden.

He calculated the cost of seeds and fertilizer, and estimated the water usage. He noted the time spent planting, weeding and harvesting and measured the harvested food. With this data he gathered the cost if purchased from the local grocery store and if purchased from other markets.

Doiron and his family calculated a value of more than $2,000 in the production of 35 main crops. They use their vegetable garden to control what their family eats and to supplement the family food budget. The higher value crops are a good place to start: salad greens, tomatoes, beets, broccoli and potatoes. Doiron encourages fellow gardeners to truly get the best value from vegetable gardens by planting what your family likes to eat.

Learning to preserve what you grow is another way to save. Lenoir County Cooperative Extension is offering a Home Food Preservation Workshop at 2 p.m. Friday.June 28 Call the office at 252-527-2191 to pre-register for the event.

Savings is an important consideration with many who decision to garden. Depending on your plot of ground, water can be the highest single expense, but a profit can still be made. Growing your own vegetables is a good way to save money if you can make the time and have a good location.

Peg Godwin is horticulture agent, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center. Reach her at Peg_Godwin@ncsu.edu or 252-527-2191.